Aurors in Training
by Snowman1400
Summary: Ch 2: Ginny goes down to dinner, and gets a chance to talk to Ron, Harry, and Hermione. Is this place for real? Does anyone take these rules seriously? And what is Cynthia's problem?
1. Summary

Aurors in Training  
  
Ginny, Ron, Harry, and Hermione are all at Benilde academy, training to become aurors. There are a surprising amount of rules, including, of course, no relationships, p.d.a., or conversing with people of a lower year outside of the designated time. This comes to be a problem for them, as Ginny is one year behind the other three, and Ginny and Harry have to figure out what to do,..Fast. Which will be sacrificed, their jobs or their feelings? 


	2. A Long Three Years

Chapter One  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Ginny stood in front of a very intimidating brick building. It was nearly ten stories tall, and the dark windows looked quite formidable. She took a deep breath and looked around.  
  
There were several other people her age, presumably here for the same reason that she was. Clearing her head and taking her two trunks, Ginny Weasley started up the concrete steps that led to very large, wooden, double doors.  
  
The handle was tarnished silver, and the hinges creaked as she pulled open the door. It was surprisingly heavy, and she nearly tripped after letting herself in. Once again, she grabbed the worn handholds on her luggage, and started to walk through the main corridor.  
  
Despite outward appearances, the inside of Benilde Auror Academy was actually very nice. There was adequate lighting, and the old fashioned doors that lined the hallway looked recently polished.  
  
A small tag on the back of her newly purchased skirt was digging into her back, and she had to use a tremendous amount of self-control to avoid scratching it. Her outfit was brand new, as was her haircut. She wanted to look nice for her first day here; making a good first impression was always important.  
  
Her black heels clacked loudly against the floor as she searched for the correct room. When she arrived at an adjoined hallway, she turned left and continued to walk until she reached a door on her right that read, "Greeting Hall."  
  
Her hands flew down to straighten her ensemble before she made her entrance. Quickly checking the status of her hair, (which she had put up in a very professional manner), she strode purposefully into the room.  
  
The walls rose nearly twenty feet, and met a gracefully arched ceiling. At the far end of the room, there was a long table with three wizards sitting behind it.  
  
Ginny walked quickly to the other side of the hall, and when she got to the table, the old wizard in the middle said simply, "Name?"  
  
"Virginia Weasley," she replied in a polite tone.  
  
"Ah, yes, Ms. Weasley. Here you are," said the considerably younger wizard to his left, whilst handing her a sealed envelope.  
  
"Thank you," Ginny nodded.  
  
"Your sleeping quarters are out through the door you just entered and to the right. Follow the signs. Please return here after you've finished settling in, as there are a few notices and announcements that we wish to make to everyone."  
  
"Again, thank you."  
  
Ginny turned around to leave and heard the wizards conversing behind her.  
  
"Much more polite than her brother, that one."  
  
"Yes, yes, quite true."  
  
She smirked to herself and walked out of the hall, attempting to locate her dormitory.  
  
Ginny turned right once she had left the room, as she had been directed, and continued to walk through the corridor until she saw a sign that pointed women to the left and men to the right. Well, they separated the two sexes. That was to be expected.  
  
She turned to the left and tugged her two trunks up three flights of stairs, and finally came to rest at a door that read, "First Year Residents."  
  
Pushing open the small door, Ginny was met with a skinny hallway that was lined with black doors. She glanced down at her packet to see the number 407 written on it.  
  
She looked around and finally spotted the right direction, and within moments she was standing outside her bedroom. Slipping her hand into the envelope, she extracted a small, brass key and used it to gain access to her chamber.  
  
The room was nothing special. There were two beds, one on each side. A small wardrobe stood at the foot of each bed, and a long desk ran across the far wall of the room. Shelves adorned the walls, and were piled high with books and papers. A clock was perched atop one of the cabinets, and a small broom closet was situated in the left corner.  
  
Ginny sauntered into the room and threw her bags on the correct bed. She proceeded to look around the dorm, and was just wondering who her roommate would be when the door was thrown open.  
  
"You must be Ginny Weasley," came a friendly voice.  
  
"Er, yes," she said uneasily, "and you are...?"  
  
The woman in the doorway dropped her cardboard box at the foot of the opposite bed and turned to face Ginny.  
  
"Cynthia Rixe," she replied cheerfully, sticking out her hand, "Nice to meet you, roomie"  
  
Ginny smiled gratefully. She could tell that rooming with Cynthia was going to be fun.  
  
"Nice to meet you, too," she laughed, going through the formality of shaking hands.  
  
"Well," Cynthia said suddenly, "We'd better be getting back down there, don't want to think of what they'd do to us if we were late..."  
  
Ginny had no idea what her new friend was talking about, but she smiled and said, "Right. Well, let's go then. We can put this stuff away later." She motioned to their packages and Cynthia laughed as she said, "Yeah."  
  
They walked together down the Greeting Hall, the contents of which had been changed. Instead of the lone table at the end of the room, there were rows upon rows of benches, most of which were occupied by second or third year residents. Ginny followed Cynthia to the front of the room, where she took a seat beside her in the fourth row.  
  
Almost immediately, she heard her name being called out from somewhere behind her.  
  
Turning her head quickly, Ginny saw Harry and Ron sitting somewhere in the ninth row, waving frantically.  
  
"Hey, Ginny!" Ron shouted to his younger sister as Harry merely continued to wave and smile. God, she didn't think it was possible, but Harry Potter had gotten even better looking since the last time she'd seen him.  
  
But there was something missing. Or rather, someONE. Her brow furrowed as she searched for Hermione, wondering where on earth she could be. Why wasn't she sitting next to Harry and Ron?  
  
Ginny spotted her on the other side of the room, sitting at the end of one of the benches. This was extremely puzzling, as she recalled the three of them as being rather inseparable. After a few moments of sending mental messages to Hermione, the other girl finally felt that someone was watching her and looked around to see Ginny's gaze focused in her direction. The youngest Weasley started to wave at the other girl, but Hermione gave her a warning look and shook her head.  
  
'Not now,' her face read.  
  
Ginny's happiness fell as she came back to Cynthia, who was asking her who those two gorgeous boys were that kept waving at her.  
  
"The one with the red hair's my brother, and the one with the black hair's Harry Potter."  
  
"No shit," she said dumbly, turning once again to get a good look of the Boy Who Lived.  
  
Ginny could tell that Harry was only smiling at Cynthia out of politeness, but her roommate seemed to take it as something else and whispered to Ginny, "Wow, he really is stunning, isn't he?"  
  
"I guess so," was the only reply she could get in before the old wizard from before commanded silence from the hall.  
  
"Calm down," he said in an authoritive voice, "Yes, well, welcome to yet another year at Benilde Auror Training Academy for Witches and Wizards!"  
  
He stopped for a short bout of applause, after which he resumed his speech, "Alright, I see we have all of our old students back, as well as some new ones. As a mere formality, I must go over the rules here at Benilde, just so we're all on the same page. They are the same as last year...let's see. The first one would be to stay clear of all rooms marked 'Benilde Personnel Only.' Also, please note that those who do not observe curfew will be expelled, no questions asked."  
  
Ginny was just about to zone out, but the next bit of his orientation sermon caught her attention.  
  
"Naturally, all romantic relations are banned, and communication with those who are not in your year of residence or are of a different sex that takes place outside the designated time is forbidden. Consuming any food that is not served in our cafeteria is HIGHLY frowned upon..."  
  
He continued to go on about the rules and regulations here at Benilde, but Ginny wasn't paying attention.  
  
She wasn't allowed to talk to Ron? Or Harry? Or Hermione?  
  
And when was this designated time, exactly?  
  
'This is going to be a LONG three years,' she told herself. 


	3. Uniforms and Cheating

Chapter Two!  
  
Thanks for all of your reviews! I love it when I get all your feedback~  
  
And now, the next chapter!!  
  
***********************************  
  
"Whoa," Ginny muttered to Cynthia after Mr. Lewis' little talk had ended, "Kinda uptight around here, don't you think?"  
  
"Yeah," she shrugged, "But what can you expect? No one pays attention to those rules, anyway."  
  
"And they just let it slide?"  
  
"Oh, heavens no. If you're caught, you're out."  
  
"But I thought you just said--"  
  
Cynthia gave her a silencing look as Mr. Lewis himself, (the old man that she had met upon her arrival at Benilde), came within earshot. Ginny was completely confused, but she decided that Cynthia could fill her in later. She turned quickly to try and get Hermione's attention, but her good friend was walking somberly out of the hall, eyes trained on the floor.  
  
What the hell was wrong with her?  
  
Ginny shook her head and reminded herself that Hermione had spent the last year without her two best friends, (due to these bizarre rules), and seeing as she is often very intimidating to those who do not know her, she probably had not made any new ones.  
  
Suddenly she felt a hand on her arm, and Cynthia began to steer her out of the Greeting Hall. The two of them walked in silence, along with the rest of the students.  
  
Ginny was strongly reminded of a cult. A cult devoid of brainwashing, mindless worship, and abuse.  
  
It was nearly six o'clock, and the two girls were informed that it was time for dinner. They hurried up to their dorm to prepare. Ginny was planning on taking down her hair, and possibly putting on a hint of makeup.  
  
But as the arrived at their door, they found two small, brown packages waiting for them. Cynthia bent over to read the card on one of them, and a look of disgust flew across her face.  
  
"Uniforms?" Ginny spat out, "They're going to make us wear uniforms?"  
  
Cynthia shook her head and threw the two bundles into the room before them.  
  
"I thought I was finished with these when I left school," the blond murmured under her breath.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
The two girls finally located the Dining Hall, and took a seat at a nearby table. Ginny was in the middle of scanning the room for her brother when he appeared at her side.  
  
"Hey, little sis," he said in a loving voice, giving her a kiss atop her head, "And you are...?"  
  
Cynthia held out her hand and said, "My name's Cynthia Rixe."  
  
"Nice to meet you," he nodded, before Hermione came up beside him and slipped her hand discreetly into his.  
  
No doubt, she felt threatened by Cynthia. But Hermione and Ron had been seeing each other for over two years, and judging by the fact that Ron never shut up about her, Hermione had nothing to worry about.  
  
Cynthia seemed to get the message as well, and whispered to Ginny, "Don't know what's got her panties in a twist, I already have a boyfriend..."  
  
Ginny let out a small laugh and turned to greet Harry, who had just walked up as well.  
  
"Hey you guys," he said in a casual (yet oh-so-sexy) voice, "What's new?"  
  
"Hey, Harry," Ginny replied, "How's it going?"  
  
He gave her his signature smile and stepped so he was standing behind her, "Pretty well, Gin. Haven't seen you in a while..."  
  
His hands rested on her shoulders as he gave her a welcoming squeeze.  
  
This was the kind of relationship Ginny and Harry shared. They were extremely friendly, and there was always an air of flirtatiousness between them. They talked about the most personal things, sometimes things that even Ron and Hermione didn't know about. But nothing romantic had ever happened between them, and Ginny was sure that if it did, Ron would have more than a few things to say to his best friend.  
  
"Why are we all just standing around, then?" her brother asked.  
  
Harry laughed and pulled up a seat next to Ginny. Ron and Hermione sat across the table from Cynthia, and Hermione placed her napkin politely on her lap. She was being oddly quiet.  
  
"So is this place for real or what?" asked Ginny, referring to the unusual standards that were revealed in the welcoming-speech.  
  
Harry let out a small laugh and Ron said, "You bet. And if mum gets word that you got kicked out of this place..."  
  
Ginny heard a loud snort come from the boy to her left, and Harry leaned over to whisper, "Don't pay attention to him. He's been sneaking out with Hermione since Day One."  
  
She bit her lower lip before replying, "I suspected as much."  
  
Ron seemed to know what they were saying, because as Harry started to laugh at Ginny's last statement, he threw her an impossible look and said, "Ginny, they're really strict about this stuff here."  
  
"Ooh," Cynthia interjected as she jumped into the conversation, "I heard they have spells on the rooms, counting how many people are in there at a certain time."  
  
Ron raised one eyebrow at the new girl before Hermione spat out, "Now, that's just ridiculous."  
  
Ginny knew something was definitely wrong with her. She tilted her head slightly and muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "Harry, what's up with 'Mione?"  
  
He seemed unaware of her question at first, and just as Ginny was about to ask again, he pretended to drop his fork and bent behind her chair to retrieve it. He took this opportunity to whisper, "Her roommate got caught sneaking out a couple of weeks ago. Hallway Patrol got her."  
  
"Is that how they find you?"  
  
"Pretty much."  
  
Harry sat back up in his seat, and started to eat his soup. Ginny was still processing the whole thing. So they had a Hallway Patrol? Well, they couldn't be much worse than Filch, and she'd been sneaking past him in the Hogwarts corridors ever since her fifth year. Ginny viewed it as a nice, new challenge. Perhaps a level or so up from the school caretaker, but conquerable nonetheless.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Dinner ended shortly after, and Ginny followed Cynthia back to their room. She was aware that the only time she would be able to communicate with her brother and his friends was during meals, (unless, of course, she got around that increasingly annoying Hallway Patrol), and possibly special occasions.  
  
The two of them were lounging about their bedroom, and Ginny was watching her roommate put up photos of her and her boyfriend.  
  
"He's not half-bad, you know," Ginny said, complementing Phillip's good looks.  
  
"I know," came the dreamy reply.  
  
She started to lean back into her pillow, but there was more to Cynthia's response.  
  
"Neither is your brother, though."  
  
Ginny's eyes sprung open as she heard this, and said in a fake-calm voice, "Tough luck there, sweets. He's got a girlfriend."  
  
"Oh, that's no problem," she muttered.  
  
Ginny wanted to tell her how wrong she was. Hermione and Ron were so close, so perfect for each other...it's just strange that they hadn't noticed it before sixth year.  
  
"Besides," Cynthia continued, "It's not like I'm looking for anything serious..."  
  
Her roommate looked up at one of her pictures of her boyfriend and whispered, "G'night, Ginny."  
  
"G'night." 


End file.
